InnerTactics

Is Talent Overrated? Checkout this video

2009-01-08T16:19:00.002-05:00

How do you handle pressure?

2009-01-07T14:21:00.002-05:00

During the past few offseasons working with the NFL Carolina Panthers I have had the opportunity to do a little work with punter Jason Baker. His focus, preparation, and hard work are second to none and is evident yet again in an article in today's Charlotte Observer.

Jason's positive emotional engagement is just one of the many factors that attribute to his success on the field!

Enjoy!

****************************************************
Punter Jason Baker says there's no pressure being the holder on kicks.

Jason Baker punts. That's obvious to Carolina Panthers fans, and he's one of the best in the NFL at his job. But he also holds. When John Kasay attempts a field goal or extra point, Baker is the guy taking the snap and putting the ball upright on the ground, readying it for Kasay's kick. We often talk about the pressure on kickers, particularly following Carolina's past two games, when Kasay first barely missed a field goal that would have beaten the Giants and then made one to salvage the win at New Orleans.

What if Baker had dropped the snap? Does he ever think about the pressure? “Do you think about brushing your teeth?” he replied Wednesday. “Well, I hold a lot more than I brush my teeth. It's just one of those things; do you think about starting your car? You just sit down and start your car.”

That doesn't mean that Baker is unaware that things can go wrong. But his attitude is probably the equivalent of a primer for dealing with pressure in sports.

“It's common knowledge that the thing you dwell your mind on is the thing you're willing not to happen,” he said. “If I say, ‘I'm going to drop this ball; I know I'm going to drop this ball,' chances are, I have a higher probability of dropping the ball.”

So he simply buries himself in the repetition of the act, letting it become almost automatic. “To be concerned about that thing that has a tenth of a percent of a chance of happening and not be more concerned about the thing that happens 99.9 percent of the time, it's really just kind of a foolish approach, psychologically.”

Often, though, people remember that tenth of a percent. As when Dallas quarterback Tony Romo fumbled a field goal snap, and with it a playoff game against Seattle two seasons ago.

Baker understands how that works, too. He bobbled a snap in the home game with Atlanta earlier this season that led to a blocked punt.
“There's no one here who's not going to have that happen,” he said. “That's what I told everybody (then). I can't tell you the last time I did that, and I can't tell you I won't do that on my next punt.

“But I'm sure as heck not going to go out there thinking that I might.”

'A Purpose Driven Life'

2009-01-02T10:00:00.000-05:00

I recently came across this presention by Rick Warren and thought it would be a perfect exercise to analyze his talk axiologically!

Enjoy!

Taking a Break

2008-11-12T19:48:00.003-05:00

There is so much information that I have written to post it is crazy!! However, I am in the final stages of getting ready to launch the new site and want to wait until there is better functionality for the viewers before I add any more posts.

Some of you have sent me some fantastic questions regarding intervention strategies with athletes and business staff! I will not make you wait too long I promise!

It will be worth the wait! Thanks for being patient as I go through this exciting growth stage!

New Website soon to come!

2008-11-09T19:24:00.002-05:00

Many of you have contacted me about more information on the various targeted profiles offered. The current site www.innertactics.com primarily focuses on sports. However, the new site will be live within the next 10-14 days!

The new site will have specific information on each of the targeted profiles along with many other user friendly features that you will not want to miss!

Stay tuned!!

Anatomy of a Workout

2008-11-09T18:57:00.006-05:00

I just got home from presenting at the Merritt Athletic Club in Baltimore, MD. There were over one hundred personal trainers in attendance and my talk was titled '3 Roadblocks to Personal Training Success'.

The following graphic displays the current approach to the workouts of many personal trainers in our industry:

Many trainers tend to focus on feelings first. In other words, it's either a 'feel the pain' focus where the intent is to solely see how long you can last, or, it's a 'how are you feeling' focus where the trainer wants to make sure the client is feeling good and doesn't want to push them hard.

The other focus is on a targeted muscle area. For example, the entire workout involves training the core (abdominals, hips, and low back).

While each of these areas are critical to a successful program, there is little focus on how to best get the result for what the client actually needs. Instead an approach should look like this:

Taking this approach, the two previously mentioned training strategies support the primary goal which is focusing on client results.

In a volatile economy, focusing on feelings and targeted areas will not be enough to retain current training clients and attract potential new clients. The best marketing strategy for Personal Trainers trying to survive the economy is to focus on getting results!

Can You Identify with Any of THESE 5 Case Studies?

2008-11-08T07:59:00.007-05:00

Wow has this past week been amazing! There are lots of exciting things happening and I wanted to share with you just a few of the events from this past week. Specifically, pay attention to how the value profiles apply to so many different areas of business and life.

Spent time reviewing the profile of one of the top business consultants in the Unites States. This individual is extremely successful, in high demand of Fortune 500 companies, authored an excellent book available at Barnes and Nobles, and is trying to 'juggle a lot of balls in the air' right now. With the Life Profile, we were able to quickly identify how to more efficiently handle all of the 'irons in the fire' and not have them feel like a doormat!

Worked with a potential high draft pick in the upcoming MLB player draft. After having him take the Sports Profile, I worked with his current coach and revealed to him the best way to help this player improve parts of his swing. Now the coach knows how to get the most out of this player and best help him prepare for the Big Leagues!

Spent time with the owner of multiple high-end restaurants discussing staffing issues and job selection and hiring. He doesn't want to waste any more money on putting staff through training only to have to let them go. The Hospitality Profile can help him dramatically improve his employee selection process.

Reviewed a Golf Profile with one of the top LPGA Players on tour. The profile revealed exactly why she is currently playing so well. Particularly where she is giving most of her attention to in her decision making on the course.
A personal trainer (and good friend) asked to have one of his new clients take the Fitness Profile. He is designing a training program for his client to follow three days per week on his own. The profile quickly revealed that his client is most likely not going to be compliant and actually complete the training program on his own.

These are just five examples of many applications and uses of the various targeted profiles. If you have any specific questions regarding the application of any of these profiles please don't hesitate to contact me at support@innertactics.com.

How's Your Mental Filing Cabinet?

2008-11-08T07:34:00.005-05:00

If you are like me, getting organized can sometimes be quite a hassle. No wait...staying organized might be actually harder come to think about it! I don't mean organizing the clutter on your desk. I mean organizing your mental thoughts. And yes it can be scary in there (between our ears) sometimes!

Formal Axiology can be used as a wonderful organizational tool. Below are two examples to give you a clearer idea of what I mean:

It can help you gather your thoughts in such a way as to significantly help improve your communication skills...especially when you are experiencing a lot of pressure and emotions. Right now should I be more focused on the person, how they are acting, or what they should be doing?
For coaches it can help you structure more effective workouts. Do I have my players work on this individual skill, practice game situations, or have a little fun and just play?

There are endless applications of formal axiology as a tool for organizing good and making people, places, things, ideas, and actions better! For details on how you can apply this powerful science to your life or business shoot me an email at support@innertactics.com and I will be glad to setup a free exploratory session with you!

6 Core Values of Succesful Coaches and Trainers

2008-10-30T08:57:00.006-04:00

Coaching today's athletes requires a different approach than it did twenty years ago. In our Sports Axiology Course we discuss your core values in coaching and are they serving your program or are they hindering it?Below are six core values of the top successful coaches and trainers:

Babysitting the greatness in athletes OR Challenge the athlete to be great
'Do as I say' OR 'Let me figure out how I can best help you'
Coaching for results OR Coaching an athlete how to leverage their strengths
Fear-based coaching OR Designing a training environment for the player to take risks
Dictating to players how they should act OR Being a model of who you want them to be
'Make it in..' mindset OR 'Beat it by' mindset

What coaching shifts have you made in order to help realize more potential in your players?

On '5 Questions Every Athlete Should Ask Themselves'

2008-10-16T15:46:00.005-04:00

Yesterday I came across an article titled '5 Questions Every Athlete Should Ask Themselves' writting by Jonathan Conneely. His article makes a great point that the best athletes consistently train hard on a daily basis and are action oriented and dedicated. He goes on to present five questions for his athletes that can be easily broken down into the value dimensions of formal axiology:

How bad do I want it? (internal extrinsic)
How bad do you really want to be great? (internal intrinsic)
Why do I want it? (internal systemic)
What am I willing to do until I get it? (internal extrinsic)
How much time do you put into what you do? (internal systemic)
Do you really love it? (internal intrinsic)

These five questions create a great foundation for building clarity around self-awareness, self-identity, and self-discipline! The key word here being SELF, or internal directed questions.

It woul be great to expand this list to also include external (world) based questions to help the athlete further identify for themselves their thinking/belief system beyond themself.

For example how about:

How important are teammates and coaches to you? (external intrinsic)
How clearly do you understand and value the cause & effect action of your sport? (external extrinsic)
How well do you thrive in a competitive match? (external extrinsic-attitude)
What is your reponse when things do not go as planned? (external extrinsic- negative attitude)
How well do you understand the demands of your sport and level of play? (external systemic)

These are just a few additional questions that help to create a bit more intensity for the athlete if appropriate. The initial five in Jonathan's article are a tremendous way to spark self-reflection and clarity for the athlete as they have to make some key decisions for their own athletic journey.

It is important to remember that no matter what the answers provided by the athlete that there are no wrong answers at all. Simply that is where the athlete is mentally in this point and time. The goal is to take their answers and match them up with their long term goals to see where the disconnect may be. Once this is identified, the art and science of coaching then comes alive in working with the athlete to get them to their own definition of 'what could be'.

Axiology vs Psychology

2008-10-10T17:14:00.003-04:00

I had a chance yesterday to take part in a fun discussion on the topic of happiness along with a positive psychologist. I am definitely a fan of positive psychology.

The point I made yesterday to the group is that the purpose of using formal axiology is to add more 'good qualities' to an individual in order for them to live a better life, perform better at their job or sport, etc.

The second point I made yesterday came from a discussion I had with Vera Medford of The Value Source Group. The biggest difference between the two can be summed up as Normative (axiology) versus Descriptive (psychology).

More on the second point tomorrow!!!

Future Directions for InnerTactics

2008-10-09T15:30:00.007-04:00

Wow what a crazy ride this has been the past two years! I have primarily focused on bringing formal axiology to the world of sports which finally came to fruition about six months ago. We are making leaps and bounds in all sports and at all levels and it is a blast! In fact we are in five different countries already!

Throughout this journey we have now expanded into the world of business and life itself! That is actually one of the greatest benefits of formal axiology is that it can be applied to literally anything!

Sports and Beyond

Until now the majority of the posts on this blog have been geared towards basic principles of formal axiology and how this ties into the world of sports. However, many of you have requested that I broaden the scope of this particular blog and add in some practical life and business examples.

Therefore, I will be creating a few different catagories of posts for this blog so that it may be easier to read and digest for all audiences! I will included examples from life coaching, business and financial coaching, etc.

BE READY!!!

Applying Axiology to the World Around You

2008-10-07T15:04:00.005-04:00

Formal Axiology can be used as a logical framework in helping to make meaning of something or someone. Using the three basic dimension of axiology (intrinsic, extrinsic, and systemic) take a look at the simple chart below:

Write down two or three words that come to your mind and try and break them down into the three dimensions and see what you come up with! In fact, post them here on this blog so others can learn as well!

An Advanced Axiological Exercise on 'Money'

2008-10-07T14:35:00.007-04:00

One of the biggest benefits of formal axiology is that it can be applied to literally any situation, person, event, etc. I had a number of emails asing me to go into this framework a little deeper. Therefore...

Given the current state of the US and World's economy I thought it would be an appropriate post for an axiological exercise for the word 'Money'. Keep in mind that the targeted profiles will reveal an individual's clarity in a specific dimension (aka maturity) and their emotional conditoining patterns within that dimension (both positive and negative). This exercise is taken from the Value Source Group Certification Manual:

Example #2 Money

Systemically, a system for exact value exchange for all society

Positive valuation: having money provides a sense of safety & security.

Negative valuation: having it may be short-lived, may lose it, have to pay more taxes – so it is hoarded.

Neutral valuation: objectively weigh pros and cons – having enough to meet needs

Extrinsically, a means of transaction in coin, currency or bearer bonds

Positive valuation: I can do and accomplish alot more with more money

Negative valuation: adds worry to daily living – have to guard and preserve it

Neutral valuation: objectively weigh pros & cons: earn enough of it to get by and survive in life, being relatively comfortable.

Intrinsically, loving money, loving to have it and accumulate more of it with no end in sight

Positive valuation: having money is the center of my self-identity and self-image. I can use money to help others in need and pay for college for my kids

Negative valuation: dangerous! Someone may try to kidnap my child or even kill me for my money

Neutral valuation: objectively weigh pros & cons: having money is good for me and promotes my growing into a better person, a person who can give to others.

On 'Searching for Patterns'

2008-10-06T15:06:00.012-04:00

I just read a blog post by Andrea Sigetich titled 'Searching for Patterns'. Here is an excerpt from the post:

********************************
Jake noticed something interesting -- one time he could be performing a task and have a great time -- really feeling like he was working from a place of strength. Another day, a similar task let him feeling cold, bored, and engaging a weakness. The tasks were similar -- and Jake became confused about his strengths!As my client worked with him to look for the patterns of circumstances underlying the times he felt he was engaging his best strength, Jake had an ah-ha! He realized that his strength was not about the task or the skill at all -- it was all about the relationships he was engaged in when performing the task.

When he performed this task alone, he was disengaged. When he performed it with colleagues and others at work, he had a great time. Soon Jake, and his boss, realized that Jake's strength is in relationship. He loves working with others. He enjoys the interplay and the creativity -- and he manages to build collaborative relationships into most all of his work.

************************************************************
Recognizing an individual's pattern of strengths is critical in helping other's reach their potential. What's great about this example is that it can be directly applied to formal axiology (the science of human value).

In this specific case Jake leads his decision making pattern with the intrinsic dimension first following by the task itself second, the extrinsic dimension. What is not known is whether Jake is engaged because of his high clarity in the intrinsic dimension or by his emotional bias pattern.

This is where the power of the values targeted profiles come in to play! The profile help's an individual or organization immediately identify a person's strengths and weaknesses based on their decision making patterns revealing both clarity and emotional biases within each dimension of thinking.

A completely different coaching approach would be taking depending on whether he is more emotional driven with a negative bias along with lower clarity....or... he has very high clarity in intrinsic value (understanding others) which therefore his emotional pattern would play less of a part.

Pattern Based Thinking

What if you could identify your unique pattern of decision making based on how you make values judgements? In fact, we have now identified thirteen external (world) view patterns and thirteen internal (self) view patterns for a total of twenty six patterns. There is no good or bad pattern, instead, each pattern is a starting point to help the individual leverage their strenghts and manage their weaknesses.

I would recommend finding a copy of Andrea's book titled 'Play To Your Strengths' in any major bookstore...outstanding information!!!! In fact I will be posting some specific examples from her book in upcoming posts! Thanks Andrea for such practical advice!

Championship Formula

2008-08-15T13:50:00.005-04:00

Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat. Sun Tzu

Winning Strategy + Clear Tactics + Right People= Athletic Success

No matter whether you play on a team or you compete in an individual sport, the team you put together to support YOU is the most important! All three components of the formula above are critical. Many athletes have two out of the three and often fall short in competition.

Which area are you struggling with the most right now? What is it costing you in your path to athletic success?

Inspirational Thought for the Day

2008-07-30T23:30:00.003-04:00

Skills make you a good player...Heart makes you a great player

The Story of John Challis- Great Intrinsic Value!!

2008-07-02T15:51:00.002-04:00

How is Sports Axiology different?

2008-06-17T14:53:00.004-04:00

Over the past week I have had the opportunity to talk with professional teams from multiple sports including the NFL, NBA, MLB, as well as soccer teams from three other countries. A common question that comes up is how does the profile compare with some of the more traditional personality tests that are commonly used?

Below is a simple chart that will help to give the answer:

How's this for being mentally tough?

2008-06-15T22:00:00.003-04:00

I just finished watching the final hour of the US Open (men's golf) and what an unbelievable roller coster ride!

The story of Mediate and Woods is ideally what sports is all about! A highly unlikely player not even in the top one hundred in the world in the playoff's against likely the greatest player to ever have played the game other than Jack Nicolaus.

Here is the clip of Tiger's putt on the 18th to force the playoff:

Talk about being mentally tough! This was a make or break putt for him and as typical Tiger does, he makes the putt! Check back this week as I will be writing what makes Tiger so mentally tough along with the ability to have a laser like focus even in the greatest moments of pressure!

Is Team Cohesion Important?

2008-06-13T16:25:00.003-04:00

You bet it is! Team cohesion is a common quality of championship teams. If you start to see cliques beginning to form than this should be a warning sign that the health of the team might be in trouble.

In fact, the sports axiological profile measures this exact attribute in the External Extrinsic dimension of value making decisions. Below is a great question to ask yourself regarding team cohesion:

Are you players playing with each other or are they playing for each other?

Skill Builder in 3D Listening

2008-06-13T15:11:00.006-04:00

The interview below is with a very good friend and outstanding baseball coach Hal Bagwell. He just led his second year team to the state championship playoffs!

In fact, he was just named the Charlotte Observer 'Coach of the Year' in baseball!

Listen closely as he shares some pearls of wisdom when it comes to getting the most out of your athletes. Try and identify specific parts of his response that are instrinsic, extrinsic, and systemic.

This exercise will help to build your skillset of 3D Listening!

6 Questions for Your Players

2008-06-12T11:52:00.004-04:00

Performing well begins with trust. This includes trusting yourself in your own abilities as well as building trust with teammates and coaches. Below are six questions to ask your athletes that will help them raise their intrinsic awareness of themself and others:

What do you trust most about the way you perform?
What do you trust the least about the way you perform?
What do you think your teammates and coaches trust most about you?
What to they trust least about you?
What do you trust most about your teammates and coaches?
What do you trust the least about your teammates and coaches?

What happens when things are going your way?

2008-06-10T13:56:00.003-04:00

Last week I was talking to a colleague who works with a professional athlete, let's call him John, who is off to his best start yet of his career. In fact, training has actually slacked off as well as a few other things in this person's life, yet success seems to be ever present right now. Does this sound familiar with any of your athletes?

HOWEVER, because things are going so well this individual doesn't want to do anything at all that would mess up his mojo! In the past he hasn't consistently performed this well and is starting to be recognized as one of today's top talents which he says is starting to feel pretty exciting. There is only one problem here...

John can't identify why he is having this level of success and therefore doesn't want to change literally anything! YIKES!!

Talking with his trainer I made the point that this is the perfect time to take the sports profile in order to actually identify what exactly IS working for him right now. This way, he can continue to build around this present decision making pattern during competitive play.

Because this athlete was in shock of experiencing this current level of success, he went in to 'play not to lose' mode. Why? Because he did not want to lose this present momentum of winning. But guess what happened?

The following week he did not make it past the qualifying round which had not happend to him in quite a long time! So what's the moral of the story here?

Challenge your athletes to identify what is presently working for them and then expand on this pattern of decision making. Be sure to include exercises such as how they 'see' themself in their competitive environment as well as patterns of self-talk.

Simply by doing these few things will help to empower your player's inner game! I guarantee you that John now wishes that he had done so when he had the chance!

Jordan on Becoming a Legend

2008-04-28T22:17:00.002-04:00

If you haven't seen this commercial it's a great way to start your day!

ENJOY!

Psychometric Testing of Athletes

2008-04-14T21:59:00.004-04:00

Psychometric testing has become more and more popular over the past decade. The most common forms of psychometrics include personality tests and aptitude tests. While these tests attempt to objectively evaulate attitudes and values, there is still quite a bit of subjectivity to them both.

These tests are what is known as a 'self-report' assessment. In other words, the athlete reports on how they think that they would act in a given situation. For example, if I was looking to add on another soccer player on my team and you were the top candidate for the position, I would simply call you on the phone and ask you about your soccer skills. I would also ask you questions such as how would you react when down one goal and your defensive back just got a red card with twenty minutes to go that was not his fault.

Now hopefully you would provide truthful answers but this is unlikely. Why? Two main reasons include your answers can be biased based on what qualities you believe that I am looking for. Secondly, most individuals actually do not know their own strengths and weaknesses, so to ask someone to provide a self-report may not be the best choice.

If I want to know how well you play soccer, talking to you on the phone will not exactly help me out in my cause. The optimal choice is to actually evaluate you playing soccer and I can then determine for myself your playing abilities.

Psychometrics (self-report) is not the same as the Sports Profile, based on axiology. In fact, valuemetrics is a method of measurement in it's own class. Below is a recent email sent to me by Dr. Dave Medford of the Value Resource Group discussing the difference between the two:

"Axiology or the axiological assessment is not psycho-metrics but rather axio-metrics. Our axiological sports assessment is a compliment to psychology – as a matter of fact “axiological psychology” is becoming a field of study in its own right. Leon Pomeroy’s book is called, The New Science of Axiological Psychology and he is a well respected clinical psychologist currently teaching psychology at George Mason University.

Psychology mainly centers on the emotional conditioning and takes the perspective of the athlete’s emotional stability or fragility (Freud, Skinner). The axiological assessment measures the interface between the athlete’s mental understanding and the athlete’s emotional conditioning – taking the perspective of concept fulfillment.

We ask, how strong is the athlete’s self-concept or self-image, and to what degree is he or she fulfilling that concept. In other words, we measure the athlete’s potential and how much of it the athlete is currently accessing or utilizing. Then, after the assessment, we try to find ways to help the athlete access and utilize more of their potential."

So is psychometric testing bad? Not at all, but in my opinion valuemetrics (the Sports Profile) provides a much more objective look into the decision making pattern of the athletes. This is achieved by having the athlete apply his/her value system and complete a specific task (thinking) versus taking a test.

More on this topic coming soon!

Case Study of an Injured Pro Player

2008-04-05T10:05:00.016-04:00

Injuries are a given in professional sport. But how does an injury affect a player's mentality? How well can he cope with his situation? What specifically is he focused on? How does the coaching staff deal with the mental side of a player's 'return to play' program? These questions and many others are asked when a highly talented player gets hurt. As you will read below, a professional club just experienced this exact scenario.

Recently a professional club had a fairly new player take the Sports Profile. The player is a young man that the club feels has tremendous potential and has already proven himself at the younger national team levels. Although an initial starter, however, the club has yet to really see the player's performance as he was hurt the majority of his first season. The club was trying to determine how best to ensure this young man was in peak performance during the 2008 season

Let's take a look at a few of the player's profile results in the world view (his decision making as it relates to other people, places, and things):

Game Intelligence- very good

Sense of Game Reality- very good

Emotional Control- very good
Understanding Others- very good

Interpersonal Harmony- (-100%) growth area

Interpersonal Conflict- (+ 100%) excellent

The scores above reflect a player with great mind speed and will not let his emotions clould his decision making on the field. While he can read others very well, he will not praise them for good efforts and will magnify the negative. In other words, he has extremely high expectations of others.

Understanding Practical Team Actions- very good

Team Orientation- low good

Attitude toward team failure- fair to good

Understanding Discipline, Rules, & game Plan- very good

Attitude toward authority- very good

Attitude toward rule breaking- very good

The scores above reflect that he clearly understands cause & effect action aspects of the game. However, he is not overly involved with his team as indicated by a lower score in Team Orientation. When the team loses/fails, he overlooks it due to the fact that he personally has not contributed to the team due to injury. He is coachable, respects authority, and could never imagine 'throwing a game' on purpose no matter how bad his team is losing.

Okay let's now briefly look at a few of his results in his self view (his thinking as it relates to who he is, the roles he plays, his vision, and personal code):

Understanding of self-worth- fair
Sense of Self Reality- growth area

Emotional self control- growth area

Overall Self Attitude- fair to good

These scores would make sense given this young man has been dealing with an injury and is unsure of his soccer career. The good news is that he is still anticipates a positive future.

Desire for Self Development- good

Developing Personal Potential (attitude score)- very good

These attributes combine to measure Competitive Fire. Emotionally he thinks he is in the process of developing his potential and truly wants to continue to improve his game and himself.

Game Role Awareness- fair to good

Game Role Satisfaction- fair

These scores indicate he is not very sure of the role/position he needs to play in order to achieve his goals. In addition, due to his injury it would make sense that his level of personal satisfaction be low.

Sports Self Identity- fair to good

Mental Toughness- good

Attitude towards Personal Growth- good

These scores reflect a strong level of uncertainty of personal game performance goals and how to best go about pursuing them. Again due to injury, this would make sense as injuries are most of the time beyond the athletes control. He has an objective view of himself in terms of the definition of his game identity. But due to his uncertainty of his future, he presently struggles with feeling a strong sense of belonging in the world of soccer.

Intuition- fair

Concentration- very good to excellent

Stress Resistance- fair to good

These scores reflect that he presently would have a difficult time 'feeling his way' through the game (intuition) and struggle with coping with pressure. However, he has a strong ability to focus on the task at hand in times of high stress.

Conclusion

This young man is spending the majority of his thinking in his 'world view' and less in his 'self view'. This pattern is common in athletes trying to come back from an injury. Overall, this player has great potential and just needs a solid 'inner game plan' during his pre-season. Additional suggestions include:

Start to build his self-confidence by getting a lot of touches on the ball.

Ensure that there is quality communication between the coaching staff and the player; i.e. a daily feedback debrief on the quality of his training and play for each day

Ask him specific questions throughout practice as to why he made the decisions that he did. This will get him to start to reflect more on himself, his own actions, and his self-worth.

He will also begin to improve his self-confidence since his respect for authority is high and this type of personal attention will continue to build self-belief
Co-create specific goals with him built around expectations and performance moving forward

Because he is more focused in the 'world view', work through this present strength and have him coach during a small sided game. This will keep him feeling that he is a part of his team and contributes to their success.

Above are just a few example strategies of developing this player's 'Inner Game Plan' based on the results of his current profile. He will take the profile again in two months and specific adjustments can be made in order to best release his inner potential.

3D Coaching Model

2008-04-01T22:48:00.005-04:00

It was not too long ago that I introduced the concept of 3D Thinking as a reference for how we make decisions.

Below is the total model for coaching that will hopefully get you to rethink your coaching process:

These building blocks of successful coaching (think, listen, observe, and communicate) all contibute to releasing your athlete's maximum potential. The art is to be able to apply all three dimensions of value (intrinsic, extrinsic, and systemic) in each of these areas in a balance dway so you can effectively pull from each one as needed.

The Wonderlic Test Strikes Again!- Part 1

2008-03-24T15:56:00.007-04:00

Each year the NFL administers an intelligence aptitude test called the Wonderlic at the combine. The test results are used to help determine draft placement of the potential players. Below is taken from yesterday's Chicago Tribune:

Wonderlic results
Scores from the Wonderlic tests given at the scouting combine. Wonderlic tests are given to help gauge the intelligence of prospects. A person of average intelligence is supposed to score a 20. NFL teams like to see quarterbacks, offensive linemen, middle linebackers and safeties score higher, because those positions can be mentally demanding.

At quarterback, neither of the top two prospects laid a Wonderlic egg. Boston College's Matt Ryan and Louisville's Brian Brohm each scored an impressive 32.

Most of the top offensive linemen also tested well. Michigan's Jake Long scored a 26, Pittsburgh's Jeff Otah scored a 28, Southern Cal's Sam Baker scored a 27, Vanderbilt's Chris Williams scored a 32 and Boston College's Godser Cherilus scored a 25. Boise State offensive tackle Ryan Clady had the only disappointing score from the top group of blockers, a 13.

Is This Really The Best Assessment for Performance Intelligence?
Okay, so from the article above you would think that these player's who scored fairly well would have future star potential right? WRONG! In fact, just like all of the physical tests, these player's can specifically prepare for the Wonderlic Test as well. Take a look at an example question:

-The ninth month of the year is:
October- January- June- November-May

For more sample questions visit http://espn.go.com/page2/s/closer/020228test.html

A general intelligence aptitude test has very little to do with on-the-field decision making ability for football. In fact, take a look at the following article reference below:

Intelligence and Football: Testing for Differentials in Collegiate Quarterback Passing Performance and NFL Compensation

Abstract
This article presents an empirical analysis of the relationships between intelligence and both passing performance in college and compensation in the National Football League (NFL). A group of 84 drafted and signed quarterbacks from 1989 to 2004 was selected for the study.

The author hypothesizes that intelligence is the most important and perhaps most rewarded at this position, and a wide variety of passing performance statistics are available to separate the effects of intelligence and ability. The OLS-estimated models reveal no statistically significant relationship between intelligence and collegiate passing performance. Likewise, the author finds no evidence of higher compensation in the NFL for players with higher intelligence as measured by the Wonderlic Personnel Test administered at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Check These Score Out
Brett Favre- 22
Dan Marino- 14
Vinny Testaverde- 18
Daunte Culpepper- 15
Steve McNair- 15
Peyton Manning- 25

The point here is that these are some of the most accomplished names in NFL Football History and there scores are quite low!

So if the Wonderlic might not be the best option for determining a player's mental potential, what would a possible solution be?

I will give you a hint... it has something to do with the extrinisic value dimension.

More on this topic in Part 2 coming shortly!

Intrinsic Coaching Tip!

2008-03-20T15:54:00.003-04:00

Below is taken from an article that I recently finished on 'The Value of Coaching'. This statement continues to remind me of my ultimate goal when training athletes:

"If you want to get more out of your athletes, stop viewing them as performers and view them as people. Working with them on what you can see (physical) is the easy part. It is working with the part that you can't see that is ulimately the most rewarding."

'It Pays to Look, Listen, and Learn'

2008-03-09T19:11:00.003-04:00

Below is an article in today's Charlotte Observer that is a quick but great read that I thought you would enjoy:

It pays to look, listen, learn
STELLA M. HOPKINS

Marine Lieutenant General Joe Weber recently addressed a luncheon group of Marines, former Marines and other military service members in Charlotte.

Joe Weber was a student at Texas A&M University when school president and D-Day hero Maj. Gen. James Earl Rudder taught a valuable lesson.

"We thought we were hotshots," said Weber, now a three-star Marine general. "He said, `You need to understand. Your purpose is to sit and let us teach you a little about the world before you go out there trying to change it.' "

Listen and learn before acting is advice that served Weber well during his 36-year career as he rose to be among the nation's 10 highest-ranking Marines.

Now he commands 74,000 Marines and a $32 billion budget. He's in charge of organizing, training, outfitting and dispatching Marines and their gear to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and elsewhere in about half the world. His main war-fighting group -- based in Eastern North Carolina -- numbers about 50,000 Marines.

He recently addressed a Marine support group at a lunch in Charlotte and talked with the Observer about leadership, delegation and motivation. Questions and answers are edited for clarity and brevity.

Q. What are the key attributes of a good leader?
You've got to get up in the morning, look yourself in the mirror, and you've got to like what you see. You've got to know yourself, know your strengths, weaknesses. You've got to know your people, their strengths, weaknesses. And you've got to know your job. If you don't, the people working for you will pick up on that very quickly. You have to empower your people, make them feel they're part of a team, that they contribute to the decision making.

Q. How do you balance that contribution with the military's need for soldiers that follow orders?
I didn't say question decisions all the time, but you're not going to get people to obey you on a moment's notice, over extended periods of time, if you don't have the established trust and loyalty. Maybe it will work once by fear and intimidation.

Q. What has been the hardest aspect of leadership for you to master?
I'm a pretty basic type guy. To be a really great leader, you've got to be a visionary, look out to the future. That's hard for me. I'm pretty enthusiastic and charismatic. I probably don't focus out in the future as much as I should. That's difficult when you get wrapped up day to day.

Q. How do you decide what to delegate?
That's determined based on the environment you're working in, the conditions you're working in, also who you have to work with, what your people are capable of doing. That goes back to knowing their strengths and their weaknesses. We should always be looking to delegate as much as we can, to give your people as much as you can, to learn to use their own leadership to resolve problems. And knowing when you can't, you have to pull back.

Q. How do you train people to know which decisions are theirs to make and to have confidence in making them?
That's done over a period of time, with a lot of face to face, a lot of discussion, a lot of people having access to you, seeing on a day-to-day basis how you work -- what makes the boss happy, what does he like, what doesn't he like. When people know what to expect, then I think that helps give confidence to make those decisions.

Q. You're responsible for tens of thousands of people, some of whom will be wounded or killed. How do you motivate folks who face such high on-the-job risks?
A lot is leadership by example. You have to demonstrate courage. You've got to be focused on providing good training so when they go into dangerous situations they're focused and confident. You've got to be honest and loyal. Loyalty runs both ways, up and down the chain of command. You have to instill a sense of brotherhood and teamwork. No one person is more important than the other in these dangerous situations. Young Marines in combat will tell you they fight for each other. You've got to build that. Then they'll do anything you want them to do.

Q. The war in Iraq is unpopular. Does that affect motivation?
They're all volunteers. They're enthusiastic. They very much know what they're getting into. That's different than the Vietnam War when we had the draft. The nation, communities, no matter what they think about the war, the support has been there.

Q. What about you?
Anytime you're in a large organization, you're subject to criticism. Look at our politicians, our CEOs. Generals in the military are no different. You have to handle it. Sometimes the critiques you get make you a stronger person.

Q. You were chief of staff of the Multi-National Force in Iraq, March 2004 to May 2005. Are we making progress there?
When I first got over there, I felt we'd made some mistakes in how we thought it would turn out. My attitude was, we are where we are. Let's see how we can make it better. Today, if I went back, I would be surprised. It appears they've made a lot of progress.

Q. What's your best advice to any leader, in or out of the military?
Don't ever forget where you came from. It keeps you in touch with the people you're leading and taking care of. It's very, very easy, as you get more powerful, to think you're a little more important than you are. You forget what you're there for: to take care of your people.

TALK FROM THE TOP
AN OCCASIONAL CHAT WITH BUSINESS LEADERS
Joe Weber
MARINE LIEUTENANT GENERAL
Lt. Gen. Joe Weber
Born: Texas. Age: 57.
Family: Married, two children, one granddaughter.
Military family: Daughter married to a Marine. Son, an F-18 pilot with the Marines in Beaufort, S.C.
CAREER
1972: Graduated Texas A&M University, commissioned an officer, began career as an artillery officer. Served in multiple command and staff positions around the world, including locations from Mississippi to Japan, Oklahoma to Panama, as well as posts at Marine headquarters in Washington, D.C.
1998: Became brigadier general.
2005: Named the commanding general for III Marine Expeditionary Force, stationed again in Okinawa, Japan.
July 2007: Became Commander U.S. Marine Corps Forces Command; Commander USMC Bases, Atlantic, and Commanding General Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic, stationed in Norfolk, Va.
Thoughts on returning to a U.S. command after spending 8 of last l0 years overseas: "It's an appreciation you really gain about how good we have it here. We're blessed."

'Taking Play Seriously'

2008-02-18T13:27:00.003-05:00

Today I posted an article on the importance of play in workouts. Check it out at http://www.athletebydesign.blogspot.com/.

Sports Profile Update

2008-02-12T22:31:00.003-05:00

I am EXTREMELY excited to announce that the official release of the Sports Profile is finally just right around the corner. The feedback from coaches, parents, athletes, and general managers of youth sports all the way to international professional clubs has been tremendous.

Below are a few update highlights for this completely new method of psychological profiling of athletes:

over 350 athletes have now taken the profile from ages ranging twelve and up through professional athletes
two different versions will be available
another 400 athletes will take the profile within the next four weeks
the profile will be available in four different languages
preliminary stats are close to completion regarding the first profile group
the initial data is presenting some patterns of decision making of youth that will have a critical impact on developmental programs
more to come soon!

Real Life Example of Intrinsic Value

2008-02-12T11:00:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I posted on 'Understanding Intrinsic Value'. Today I came across this video that portrays exactly what instrinsic value is all about!

This young many truly inspires all of us to go after our dreams no matter what obstacles stand in our way!

Understanding Intrinsic Value

2008-02-11T15:23:00.002-05:00

How do you feel?

Think of just about any post championship game that you have watched on television and what is the first question that the commentator asked? Most often the question is:

How does it feel right now to be the champion?

Intrinsic value is all about 'feeling'. Have you ever had a gut feeling about a teammate where you said to yourself 'John is really struggling right now, maybe I can help'? If so, that is the ability to be highly empathetic (understanding and sensitive to others).

In the picture above, these NFL Green Bay Packer's Fans intrinsically value their team. They love their team for who they are...win or lose. More on intrinsic value below:

is about the 'wholeness' of something or someone
focuses on who a person is not what they do
answers the question 'Who do you want to be?'
involves the ability to understand others (coaches, teammates, etc)
includes words that create feelings or emotions (both positive and negative)
includes phrases such as 'Spirit of the game' or 'Heart of a champion' or 'Love for the game'.

Intrinsic value questions relating to one's world view (empathy) include:

How important are my teammates and coaches to me?
How well do I get along with my teammates and coaches?
How well can I handle mistakes made when I rely on my teammates?
What are my realistic expectations of my teammates and my coaches?

Intrinsic value questions relating to one's self view (self-esteem) include:

How well do I understand the value that I bring to my sport as a person?
Do I have an inner desire for self-development?
What is my attitude about my personal problems?

Understanding Extrinsic Value

2008-02-08T13:50:00.002-05:00

Last week I wrote a short article on "Understanding Systemic Value", which is basically the foundation of human value. This week let's take a step up the heirarchy and explore the extrinsic value dimension.

How Do You Compare?

Extrinsic value is all about comparison and getting results. In the picture above, the player with the ball has to clearly and quickly compare a number of different options of what to do in his situation. For example, does he just try and hold the ball until he can get support? Or does he try and cut the ball back between the two defenders? Or does he simply just try and clear the ball as quickly as possible?

So in this situation it is about which choice does he make in order to get the best result. Below are a few more points of intersest regarding extrinsic value:

this is the dimension of comparison to get desired results

extrinsic value answers the questions 'How do I...' and 'What is the best way to...'

it is about determining what is relevant within a complex situation

seeing the benefit of one's actions

includes words such as choices, best option, process, integration (how people work together)

Internally it is about role awareness. In other words, what are the roles that you think you need to play in order to get results or accomplish your goals

it involves one's attitudes towards team success as well as team failure

Internally it involves one's attitude toward their own peak performance and their own poor performance

Below is a sample chart comparing one's strengths and weakness in the extrinsic value:

Are You Breaking Down or Building Up Your Teammates?

2008-02-07T15:48:00.001-05:00

If you consider yourself to be highly competitive, it is important to take a step back every so often and ask yourself if you are breaking down or building up your teammates. Which scenario below resonates best with you?

Scenario #1

There are ten minutes left in the game and your team is in a must win situation. A few of your teammates are not stepping up to the challenge and are making some mistakes due to fatigue and pressure. You quickly run over and communicate with your teammate in the following way:

focus on the problem not the actual person when discussing their mistake

let them know that you need their best effort, not their perfect effort

be specific

praise your teammate before you expose the issue

end the quick conversation with a positive not a negative comment

Scenario #2

The same as scenario #1 and you communicate with your teammate in the following way:

magnify their mistakes as worse then it really may be

focus on the negative

verbally attack your teammate and not their action

value your teammate only to the level at which they can or cannot play the game

be general (i.e. You always... or You never...)

Will You Go the Extra Mile?

If scenario #1 sounds most like you, then you most likely highly value interpersonal harmony. This answers the question what are your realistic expectations of your coaches and teammates?

Athlete's with this strength are usually considered a team player, concerned for others, strong communicator, and enjoy interacting with their teammates.

How Realistic Are You?

If scenario #2 sounds most like you, then you most likely give much attention to interpersonal conflict. This answers the question how well can you handle mistakes made when relying on your teammates?

Athlete's who have a high positive attitude score here generally tend to magnify the mistakes and faults of others, even to the point where a loss is instantly blamed on someone else. Has this ever happened to you?

The Choice Is Yours

These are just two attributes that help to define an individual's decision making pattern. No matter which scenario sounded most like you, the goal is to first identify your present mindset. Then find out if that decision making pattern is working for you or not.

Take a few minutes and ask yourself the following questions:

What is it costing you by having a 'break down my teammate' mindset?
Is this mindset more for your benefit or your teammates?
What can you accomplish with a 'build up your teammate' mindset?
How would things be different for you on the field or court of play? Write down an specific example from a recent game that you participated in.
Would you feel different? If so, what types of feelings would you now experience?
Can your teammates benefit from you feeling this way?
If so how?

Communication without Words

2008-02-06T19:10:00.002-05:00

When it comes to communication we often think of what other's are saying or how we are listening. However, communication doesn't always come in verbal form. In fact, communication without words is sometimes the strongest way to get a point across to others.

Feel Your Way Through The Game
You see, communicating without words is all about communicating intrinsically. Athletes often rely and trust most their intrinsic thinking when it comes to dealing with pressure. In other words, they will feel their way through the game.

Coaches often gauge player improvement by what they see with their own eyes during the game and not by timed sprints or a win/loss record.

From Good to Great
It is this type of communication that allows a good player/coach to become a great player/coach. Getting beyond focusing on the X's and O's can help raise your ability to achievement!

Quote of the Day

2008-02-04T16:24:00.002-05:00

"Talent wins games, but teammwork and intelligence wins championships."- Michael Jordan

Do Your Athlete's Value TEAMWORK?

2008-02-03T21:53:00.001-05:00

"Individuals play the game, but teams win championships."

This is the sign that is in the New England Patriots team locker room. This says it all! It's a life rule, no one achieves any level of success completely on their own. Do you have any athlete's on your team that have incredible individual talent but struggle to be a team player? If so, below are some examples of attributes that will give insight into a player's attitude towards the value of a team:

Interpersonal rapport- How well does the athlete get along with their coach/teammates?
Interpersonal harmony- What are the athlete's realistic expectations of their coach/teammates?
Interpersonal conflict- How well can the athlete handle mistakes made when relying on their teammates?
Team orientation- What is the athlete's level of understanding and involvement with teammates and their sport?
Attitude towards team success- How well does the athlete thrive in a team setting?
Attitude towards team failure- What is the athlete's response when the game does not go as planned?

*Note: These are just a few of the thirty nine attributes objectively measured in the InnerTactics Sports Profile.

What have you been able to achieve just by being part of a team that you could not have on your own?

Athletic Talent

2008-02-03T13:42:00.001-05:00

The world of sports is obsessed with talent. In fact, it is most evident in youth sports! How many times have you heard a dad or mom say 'my child has talent and could even be the next future star'?

But just what does talent mean? Take a few minutes to work through the following exercises to help you build clarity around what talent means to you.

How do you define talent?

What about having talent is important to you?

Think of the most successful athlete that you have worked with. How did talent affect their success? Where there any other attributes that also contributed to their success?

Now think of an athlete that you know who has tremendous talent but has yet to be successful? Name three key qualities that prevented this person from achieving their best?

When it comes to talent, there are three main areas to focus on:

Identify talent

Recruit talent

Develop talent

Just about everyone accomplishes the first two but stops there. It is number three that truly defines the good coaches from the great coaches.

After having answered the questions above, ask yourself what steps are you taking to develop your talented athletes both physically and mentally?

Understanding Systemic Value

2008-01-29T13:01:00.001-05:00

Systemic Value
Otherwise known as structured thinking, this dimension is built around rules, policies, systems, yes/no type thinking. Below are some additional components of this dimensional value:

includes words such as plan, sort, categorize, order, logic, etc.
Answers 'should' type questions. i.e. 'Did you do what you should have? or Did your teammate do his job?'
In sports it involves how well does the athlete understand the rules and demands of the game
Internally it is about self-direction and self-image

Below are some additional questions to ask based on systemic value:

How well do you understand the rules of the game?
How well do you understand the game plan?
What is your attitude towards authority?
What is your attitude towards breaking the rules?
What is your attitude towards being compliant?

Avoid This To Maximinze Your Potential

2008-01-29T10:10:00.001-05:00

Just as the goal of multi-dimensional strength training is to focus on integrating multiple joints of the body through fundamental movement patterns, the same can be said for how an individual thinks.

The most successful athletes have a balance between the three dimensions of thinking (intrinsic-extrinsic-systemic) and can pull from each of these areas when needed. It is the athlete who pays little attention to one or two of these dimensions in their decision making process that struggles to reach their potential.

So if you want to maximize your potential, be sure to pull from all three dimensions of thinking! Just how can you do that? Well start by asking yourself the following questions:

How does this make me feel? (intrinsic)
What action do I need to take to accomplish this? What is it costing me by not taking action? (extrinsic)
How well do I understand the rules/framework/boundries of this opportunity or situation? What is it costing me by not fullly understanding this structure? (systemic)

3D Thinking

2008-01-29T09:41:00.001-05:00

Over the past decade of training athletes there has been a trend towards multi-dimensional strength training. The basic idea is that because athletes move in multiple planes of movement (front to back, side to side, and rotational), a sound strength training program should also reflect these same demands in order to best prepare the athlete for optimal performance. If this is true for physical development, can it also be true for the mental side of performance?

3D Thinking

Based on the science of axiology and the work of Robert S. Hartman, it is proven that people make decisions based on three dimensions of thinking. It is the unique combination of these dimensions that create an individual's unique decision making pattern. Each pattern is a combination of clarity and bias within each dimension that creates an individual's strengths and weaknesses.

Below are the three dimensions of thinking:

Intrinsic

Extrinsic

Systemic

Over the next few weeks I will review each of these areas as it relates to sports performance.

Carl Lewis: Beyond Sport

2007-10-31T23:54:00.002-04:00

Inspirational Movie for Your Success: The Impossible Dream

2007-10-31T23:49:00.002-04:00

A former athlete sent me this video clip. I actually had the chance to meet Roger a few years ago.

As the video discusses, it is all about self belief.

Has a bad day ever disrupted your practice?

2007-10-19T16:40:00.001-04:00

Hey we all have bad days which can be due to a number of reasons ranging from problems with a significant other, performed poorly on a test in school, or even forgot to

However, when it is time to go to practice or a game you have to leave all of that behind you before you step onto the field or court. If you are struggling with getting pumped up to practice, just remember that you can always act your way into a feeling!

Even better, ask yourself the folllowing question and watch how quickly you can be more consistent at bringing your best game:

If my teammates match the same level of effort today in practice that I do how much will we actually improve?

What are you saying to yourself when in times of high stress?

2007-10-19T16:35:00.001-04:00

Nobody listens to you more than you listen to yourself.

When that moment of truth comes and you have to step up and perform just remember:

You can talk your way out of anything, but you can also talk your way in to anything just as well!

How do you match up to THIS survey?

2007-09-12T14:26:00.001-04:00

According to Markus Buckingham:

60% of people feel an emotional high once per week
70% of people play to their strengths once per week

If you fall into either one of these two catagories then I have some encouraging news for you...

It is 100% possible for you to dramatically affect both of these numbers mentioned above! But how?

Step back and re-evaluate the following:

your individual strengths and weaknesses
create a clear description of your present working environment
list your top three daily stressors- job and personal
identify your teammates on the job- how do they support you and vice versa?

Once you have gotten clarity around each of these then sit back and ask the last two questions...

What is missing here?
What is the number one negative that I can immediately eliminate?

5 Key Questions to Jumpstart Your Week

2007-09-09T22:09:00.001-04:00

What are you most certain about in your job/profession?
What percentage of your day do you 'play to your strengths'?
How many times per week do you actually feel an emotional high while at work?
Do you feel that you can talk about your strengths without sounding arrogant?
Do you feel that you can talk about your weaknesses without sounding wimpy or pathetic?

Are you caught in the current?

2007-05-03T17:01:00.002-04:00

I just responded to an email from an individual who is starting to feel a bit frustrated because their goals are not being met. I asked her what her daily routine was and she responded with answers that were about her competition.

All too often it is easy to get caught up in other people's situations, events, etc. to the exclusion of focusing on our own needs. In fact, some people use this as a coping strategy just so they don't actually have to face themselves and their own fears.

How about you? Do you ever find yourself struggling to improve?

River of Competition

Are you caught up in other current events, current fears, current player trends etc.. that are keeping you from making yourself better? There is a great life principle that says:

If you go with the flow, the river might take you places where you don't want to go!

Start today and focus on only what you can control....YOURSELF!!

The Truth about making Decisions

2007-05-03T16:52:00.001-04:00

Decisions vs Preferences
Getting people to actually make personal decisions is one of the toughest things to do. How many times have you joined up with a group of friends, planning to have a bit of fun on the town only to find out two hours later nobody will just make a decision on where to go!

Why is this? Many people have a mindset of 'Preference' thinking. This type of thinking will lead to being indecisive and unable to ever commit. For example:

Preference Statement- I would really like to lose weight (need to, have to, should).

Instead of this type of mindset challenge yourself to be more proactive in making firm decisions. In doing so you will find out that you will quickly get on the fast track to achieving personal goals! For example:

Decision Statement- I will lose this extra weight starting right now.

Decision statements require comittment and are very powerful.

Challenge yourself today and see how many decision statements you can actually make!

What are YOU waiting for?

2007-04-14T18:43:00.001-04:00

Earlier this week during one of my offseason training sessions with the NFL Carolina Panthers, I asked one of the new players to the team what he expected from himself and the organization regarding the upcoming season.

His answer immediately challenged me in my pursuit of my own vision and life purpose:

"J, I've been waiting for my chance now for the past two seasons. I just wasn't ready last year and I knew it so I gave everything I had to developing all of those areas of my game that I felt needed attention...I wanted to make my strengths really stand out in my performance but at the same time wanted to make sure that my weaknesses were only potential weaknesses."

Is that a great personal philosophy or what! While this showed me he had tremendous patience and a strong self-belief, it was what he said next that impacted me the most.

"I am out here training just as hard if not harder than everyone else. Each of these guys are getting theirs, IT'S MY TURN NOW!"

Without a doubt he now has a mindset of taking initiative and is ready to step up to the plate. So how about you? What are you waiting on? Take a few minutes and answer the following:

What have you really wanted to do lately but have just been overly skeptical , cautious, or hesitant about in your life? You know deep down inside that you have the talent and the desire.

What do you feel is missing that is keeping you from taking action? Usually it is either lack of experience, missing a particular skill set, or blaming lack of opportunity.

How do you respond when you hear stories of someone else who has just accomplished the same thing? Deep down you believe that you have a greater ability and are more talented than the other individual.

Whatever it is that you have been putting off, realize that you deserve what it is that you want to achieve. Like the player for the Carolina Panthers, IT'S YOUR TURN NOW!!

The KEY to making clear decisions

2007-04-05T16:57:00.001-04:00

If you have not already done so, I would like to challenge you to take the time to identify your values that are important to you.

Why? Because the pattern of taking action looks like the diagram above. Most people start at the Thoughts/Beliefs/Feelings part of the cycle but remain frustrated with the outcome of not achieving their full potential or getting their desired results.

At the end of the day, what we value directly influences what we do and the choices that we make. So how do you identify yourself? What is it that you personally value in life? What are the three or four life changing moments for you that helped to shape your personal values?

Starting to build clarity around your personal values will directly affect your ability to make clear decisions in your life. Most people can intuitively guess what their natural strengths are as they relate to others.

However, take a little more time and dig a little deeper when reflecting on how you value yourself. If you are like me, it is more likely that our self identity is based on what we do in life and the roles that we play rather than just who we are.

The goal is to identify with both of these areas (the DOING and the BEING). The ulitmate outcome for you will be adding more meaning to your life and making key decisions much easier.

Daily Cost or Daily Investment?

2007-04-05T16:42:00.001-04:00

It's just way too easy to caught up in the daily grind of life only to look back a few weeks later and ask yourself 'where did that time go'?

We each only have a limited availability of time, money, attention, and energy. Therefore, make sure that the daily choices that you make are worthwhile, productive, and leading you towards your goals.

Below are two simple questions to ask yourself at the end of each day:

Which of my choices that I made today cost me something? (prevented me or slowed me down from reaching my goals)

Which of my choices that I made today were investments towards reaching my goals?

In fact, asking yourself these two question throughout your day will help to ensure that you are being productive and are giving yourself the best chance of success!

Investment vs Expense

2007-03-08T23:26:00.001-05:00

I just got back from spending the majority of the day with a very close friend of mine who also happens to be one of the top financial investment leaders in the country (www.smarttaxmoves.com).

Right now his desk is stacked to the ceiling with corporate tax files which got me thinking... the P&L statements of these companies list their employees as an expense and not an investment! However, it is the people that determine the success of a company.

How do you view your P&L Statement? Do you view your team as an expense or as an investment? If your like me, the answer is BOTH!

Certainty

2007-03-05T08:44:00.001-05:00

A recurring question that we all ask ourselves is how certain are we that the decisions that we make are the right ones.

Check out the following short film starring Roger Black, a 400m medalist in the Olympics, World Games, and European Championships, as he gives his thoughts on 'certainty and you':

http://tinyurl.com/253jya

Do you want to be an expert?

2007-03-04T14:06:00.001-05:00

I have now been coaching for over twelve years and have only been asked about my professional qualifications less than five times. What's even more unbelievable is that each of these five clients were one time meetings or only a few sessions at best.

Whether it has been a professional or college team, individual athletes, or corporate clients, I have never been asked to provide my professional qualifications. Looking back as to why this is, I discovered it all is about clarity.

Knowing how to clearly communicate with potential clients can immediately cause you to be viewed as an expert. It will help to move them from a position of confusion to a state of confidence.

So how can you provide clarity?

Make sure that your message is not wrapped around clutter- the shorter the better
Present your message in a way that others will hear it and identify with what you are saying- identify an area of struggle, communicate what solution you provide, give a supporting case study/story
REMEMBER it is about the other person and not about you!

3 Questions You Must Answer If You Want Change

2007-03-02T13:51:00.001-05:00

I came across these three questions today while looking for a specific resource for one of my clients. If you desire change in your life, ask yourself the following questions. If you answer 'no' to any of them, go deeper and ask yourself 'why'?

Are you READY to live your best life?
Everyone WANTS to live their best life but when it comes down to it, most people actually fear living their best life. Why? Because that means something will change which means we get pushed out of our comfort zone. Even if that zone is not always positive!
Are you WILLING to explore all of your options?
Most people only think they have actually reviewed all of their options available in order to live the life that they deserve. However, the only real way to do so is to work with another individual. The problem is that most people do not want others to know their personal situation and would rather focus on someone or something else.
Are you ABLE to accept complete support?
Life Rule- We all like advice but at the same time do not necessarily want another person telling us what to do. Another way of asking this question is how truly coachable are you right now? If not, why not? What do you not want others to know about you?

Rhythm vs Tempo

2007-02-25T14:34:00.001-05:00

In the world of speed development the phrase that is often used is 'develop rhythm before tempo'. In other words, if you want to get faster as an athlete, you must first develop a solid foundation of fundamental skills that will lead to developing more complex skills.

Getting faster is more than simply running as fast as you can (focusing on tempo). Instead, it is first knowing all the components of what it takes to get faster. Then over time, along with a sequential and methodical plan, mastering each of these skills will result in improved speed (rhythm).

Isn't life like that as well? We all too often get easily caught up in the daily grind and just being able to keep up with everything becomes the focus. Then, if we are lucky, we might have time to ourselves once every few weeks.

Like me, if you want to truly improve your life and focus on personal and professional growth, start to focus on your 'daily life rhythm'. Below are a few questions to ask yourself to get rhythm focused:

Are you naturally a morning person, afternoon person, or evening person?
When do your energy levels peak and drop throughout the day?
When are you most productive and when are you least productive?
What if you were to slow down during your day to spend some 'you' time? Even if it was only 10 min. each day to write in a personal journal?
What are some key areas in your life where you feel like you need to improve upon?
What would your life look like if you took the time to improve them?
What is the cost of not improving them?

Problems and Solutions

2007-02-21T11:39:00.001-05:00

"The problems we face today cannot be solved on the same level of thinking we were at when we created them."- Albert Einstein

Yesterday I came across this fantastic quote that I believe to be a Life Principle. How many times do we experience a problem in our daily lives only to find ourselves in the same mindset as when the problem first occurred?

When we are challenged to find solutions to situations or events, it is important to be aware of all of the factors that contributed to the problem itself. However, a solution mindset involves one of the following:

Doing different things
Doing things differently

The first is always the easy way out while the second option requires creativity and ingenuity. So, take a litte extra time when trying to come up with a creative solution. Remember, the goal to problem solving is to not to have to revisit the same problem again and again!

How BIG (or little) do you value yourself?

2007-02-20T17:09:00.001-05:00

A very good friend of mine has been given the opportunity to speak in front of one of the largest financial companies in the United States for their leadership program. The speaking engagement is for half a day and this will without a doubt launch his career to a new level.

In the past he has received a few thousand dollars for his presentations and so in his mind this was to be no different. BUT...just the other day the company sent him a copy of the PO for his services and the total was signifcantly more than a few thousand dollars!

He immediately called me and said, "Surely this must be a mistake!" I immiediately replied back and asked "why would it be a mistake?"

My good friend could just not accept the fact that a company would be willing to pay well over $18,000 for his services! After a few hours of letting it all settle in I got him to reframe his thinking. How? Well instead of that figure being a top end number, I encouraged him to think of the fee as a stepping stone. In fact, the next time he can charge even more!

Take Home Message:

Whatever you think that your services are presently worth...double that number! Why? People all too often undervalue themselves.
What would happen if tomorrow a nationally known potential client wanted your services and offered to pay you more than you ever imagined? Would you be confident and willing? Or would you be hesitant and uncomfortable?

A Lesson from a Pro Baseball Player

2007-02-15T10:01:00.001-05:00

I recently spent an entire week with Chad Tracy, third baseman for the Arizona Diamondbacks. The focus of our time together was to get him sharp and ready to start Spring Training here in the next two weeks. Each day we laid out our training plan for the week incorporating everything from movement training, taking ground balls, hitting, and strength training. Some days, we would workout out twice per day but everything was centered around his ability to recover, or what I call Energy Management.

Just spend a few minutes with Chad and you will quickly discover he takes a very dedicated approach to Energy Managment, especially with regards to his ability to recover and his nutrition. Yet while our focus was on executing a solid plan for the week, I also was reminded of the importance of another type of management.

The TOUR I Will Never Forget

Wednesday, we took as an off day and I got a first hand tour of the Diamondbacks stadium. Standing there at home plate and looking into the stands I heard some great stories of where some pretty incredible home runs were hit. It was at this exact moment I felt the importance of 'Mental Management'!

As Chad was sharing with me his wonderful home run stories, I could see in his eyes even then the unbelievable level of focus he had as he replayed those memories in his mind. His ability to focus on only what matters at that specific time, what he can control, and what he wants the outcome to be all contribute to his success.

Another way to define 'Mental Management' is your ability to turn it on when you need to- turn it off when you don't- and stay away from all the clutter in between!

So how is your mental managment? Here is a short self-audit:

Nobody will ever listen to you more than you! Is your self-talk more negative or more positive?
In your Moment of Truth do you find that you have a tendancy to focus more on intuition, on choosing the best option to get the best result, or what process should happen so that you can get the result that you want?
Do you spend time focusing on those things that you cannot control? Or more on only what you CAN control?
What happens if you still don't get the result that you want? How do you react? What is your self-talk now?

Answering these questions will help you to get a clearer picture of your present Mental Management strategies and identify what areas that you need to work on to sharpen your mindset for success!

What to do when life throws you a curve ball

2007-02-14T13:26:00.001-05:00

At any time life can throw us a curve ball that can really put us in a bind both professionally and personally. The question is how do you respond to these types of events? Get a mindset that the event can serve as a growth opportunity for you.

Below are a few lessons I have learned along the way that can hopefully serve as a source of inspiration:

Focusing on things you cannot control serves little purpose; Focus on only those things that you can control right now and that depend on you!
Keep your eye on all of the amazing things that the very near future has in store for you!
Be aware that focusing on what all has happened to you (a victim perspective) can temporarily stop all of your forward progress
This mindset will open doors for procrastination

Things to keep in mind:

Motivation just isn't going to strike you like lightening right now and is not something that anyone else can force on you
It's a whole lot easier to act your way into a feeling than to wait for positive emotions to lift your spirits and carry you forward
Most of all... BELIEVE IN YOURSELF!

'Ode to the Champions'

2007-02-12T14:55:00.001-05:00

I was just on my way back to Charlotte, having spent the past week in Arizona when I can across the following poem and wanted to share it:

Ode to the Champions

Who are these people-
These doers of deeds,
These dreamers of dreams
Who make us believe?

Who are these people
Who still win the day-
When the odds are against them
And strength fades away?

These people are champions,
For they never give in.
A heart beats within them
That is destined to win

They follow their dreams
Though the journey seems far,
From the top of a mountain
They reach out to a star

And when they have touched it-
When their journey is done-
They give to us hope
From the victories they won.

So here's to the champions-
To all their great deeds.
They follow their hearts
And become winners indeed.

Tom Krause

Build Your Team- Part 1

2007-02-01T16:06:00.001-05:00

In the Everyday Champion Steps to Succes model, I talk about how important it is to build your own team. Having the right people in your corner to support you and provide advice and feedback is critical for your success.

In part 1 of 'Build Your Team' we will take a look at your financial teammates. Your team should include a creative CPA, an expert investment advisor, an insurance professional for risk management, and attorney’s. No I do not mean having a slick CPA help with your taxes at the end of the year, but a team of experts who take a proactive approach to your business and personal life.

We all want to make more money. However, instead of adding more work hours in our day to do so, doesn't it make more sense to first figure out how to keep more of what you are already making?

A client of mine just recently discovered that they can put almost six figures back in their pocket each year without even having to add any additional income! How? It ultimately all comes down to the business structure that is right for you. Taking the time to assemble a talented team like this can be very time consuming and expensive, but, I have a solution! I have a team available to work with you on your unique plan to hit your financial suite spot.

Another important area that individual's tend to take for granted is their investment portfolio. In other words, what strategies and methods are you using to make your money work for you. Stocks, bonds, mutual funds, 401K's, etc. are all important to be aware of. However, wouldn't it be mentally comforting if you knew that your hard earned money would not be lost if the stock market were to suddenly crash? Or another terrorist attack shut down the markets? Or if more Enron’s were discovered?

You can invest in the markets with protection from all these events. Have you ever thought about getting insurance on your portfolio to protect you from losses? You have insurance on your car and home, so why not on your largest asset?

So as you can see, you will give yourself the winning edge by including a financial team on your side. The team I put together for myself and all of my professional clients is headed by Dan Venegoni. You can find out more about Dan and his team at www.SmartTaxMoves.com.

While many of you right now are thinking "I already have a guy who does that stuff for me", TRUST ME and do yourself a favor by at least contacting Dan. You will not regret it!

The bottom line is that building your financial team (whoever that may be) is a HUGE factor in your success! In part 2 of this series I will discuss how to build the rest of your team to help you become an Everday Champion!

What price would you pay to change your life?

2007-02-01T15:42:00.001-05:00

I just saw the movie 'Pursuit of Happiness' last night. 'The story's based on the life of Chris Gardner, who started a successful career as a San Francisco stockbroker 25 years ago after risking everything on a six-month, unpaid internship while struggling to care for his son.'

This is a great motivator for individuals who are stuggling and working hard to breakout of their present situation. The price Gardner is willing pay in order to live the life he feels he derves is encouraging to say the least.

There are many wonderful character qualities throughout the movie that most of us can indentify with including:

hard work
persistance
faith
determination
relationships
and many others

While each of these qualities helped contribute to Chris Gardner's success, it is his values that ultimately influenced his mindset and therefore turned his ability into achievement.

If you haven't seen this movie, take the night off and check it out!

Ask yourself what price are you willing to pay to live the life that you deserve?

2006-12-06T17:53:00.001-05:00

PERMISSION & WHY YOU NEED IT

Permission is a funny concept. People in general so often come up with great ideas or can choose the best option to get a result but do not actually take action. Why? Well they often are just waiting for someone else to give them permission that it is okay to do so.

Whose permission are you waiting for in order to take action right now? Your own self? Maybe a significant other? Or even a business partner or mentor?